Bates College AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L0 (unchanged)
Disclosure: D0 (unchanged)
Enforcement: E2 → E0 (Unknown policy)
This school updated their AI admissions policy between our September 2025 and February 2026 reviews.
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at Bates College?
Bates College has no explicit AI policy for admissions essays. While not explicitly prohibited, the lack of clear guidance means students should be cautious.
Disclosure: Bates College does not require disclosure of AI use in admissions materials.
Enforcement: Bates College has not indicated how they check for AI use in admissions essays.
Last verified: 2026-02-17 • Confidence: High
What This Means For Your Application
✓Generally Safe
- Grammar and spell-checking tools
- Getting human feedback on drafts
✗Avoid
- Submitting AI-generated paragraphs as your own
💡No explicit policy doesn't mean AI is allowed — err on the side of caution
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“No AI-specific admissions essay policy found on admissions website.”
— Three Tips for a Great College Application(Verified: Feb 2026)
“Present your own work. We've seen plagiarized personal statements before, as well as the work of a parent, teacher or essay-writing professional.”
— Three Tips for a Great College Application(Verified: Feb 2026)
“Take me out of my office and into your life for five minutes.”
— What makes a good college application essay?(Verified: Feb 2026)
Sources Verified
All sources checked (9)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://www.bates.edu/admission/
- https://www.bates.edu/admission/apply/
- https://www.bates.edu/admission/frequently-asked-questions/
- https://www.bates.edu/admission/3-simple-tips-for-a-great-college-application/
- https://www.bates.edu/admission/what-makes-a-good-college-application-essay-ask-the-college-experts/
- https://www.bates.edu/student-conduct-community-standards/student-conduct/academic-integrity-policy/
- https://www.bates.edu/curricular-research-computing/ai-bates/resources/
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L0 | D0 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L0 | D0 | E2 | High |
Additional Context
Bates College has no explicit AI policy for admissions essays. The admissions site emphasizes authenticity and warns against plagiarism and use of professional essay writers, but never mentions AI, ChatGPT, or generative tools. The academic integrity policy references 'technology' broadly in its cheating definition but does not name AI and applies only to enrolled students, not applicants. Bates does not require supplemental essays; only the Common App personal statement is used. The previous file's E2 enforcement rating was downgraded to E0 because no AI-specific screening tools or processes were found. The Environmental Studies program AI policy from the prior file was removed from program_specific_policies because it pertains to enrolled student coursework, not admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bates College allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to Bates College?
How does Bates College check for AI?
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